


Bound by Blood

by Theroguetennant



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Spoilers for Episode: s02e13 Nightwing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21625426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theroguetennant/pseuds/Theroguetennant
Summary: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 FINALE:Maybe inviting a brother you’d never met to share a body with you wasn’t the best idea in the world. Rose Wilson was beginning to think so, anyway.Rose and Jericho consider their situation post season 2 finale and try to find a way to live beyond Deathstroke's shadow.
Relationships: Joseph Wilson & Rose Wilson & Slade Wilson
Comments: 19
Kudos: 74





	1. Reluctance

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! Just watched the season 2 finale of Titans and was inspired to write this piece about two of my favorite characters on the show and the rather interesting situation they've found themselves in. I might write some more of this from Jericho's perspective if the response is good!

Maybe inviting a brother you’d never met to share a body with you wasn’t the best idea in the world. Rose Wilson was beginning to think so, anyway. 

For one thing, he was always watching, always awake. Kinda made some things awkward. Like trying to patch things up with a certain ex-boyfriend. Jericho was a cool guy, and she was glad to know him outside of Slade’s lies, but he was still essentially a stranger. And he liked to talk. A lot.

Rose had never been much of a talker. Not when she lived with her mother, and certainly not when she’d lived with Slade. Most people weren’t worth talking to. The Titans were… a notable exception. They’d forgiven her even after all she’d done. To them. For her father. They were closer family than she’d ever had. Literally, in Jericho’s case.

But he was still starting to get on her nerves.

“So, dad let you in on his secret life?”

Rose scoffed, leaning over the desk she’d had moved into her room in Titans Tower. It had been a week since Donna’s funeral, but it seemed longer. They’d fought crime since then...both of them, which was weird beyond words. The whole time, he’d been pestering with questions about herself and her relationship with her father. Their father, she corrected herself. They were questions she didn’t feel like answering. Not so soon after what she’d done. Jericho seemed to understand, even if that didn’t stop the endless wave of questions he sent her way. 

“Yeah, he let me in on his ‘secret life’. He wanted to make me into a weapon. A dagger he could thrust right into the heart of the Titans. Came real close, too. Hey, wait a second, why are you asking  _ me _ about what Slade was doing? Weren’t you inside his head?”

Jericho did a mental shake of his head.  _ Man _ that was weird. Rose wondered if she’d ever get used to this. Or if she even wanted to get used to it.

“He didn’t exactly let me see much. Only when he was tired or hurt or...he was feeling generous.”

So dad kept secrets from him, too. Maybe they had even more in common than Rose thought. 

“I’m sorry. He hurt me too. Told me it was for you. To honor your memory. I thought he was joking at first, but...he never jokes. Joked, I mean.”

A sharp intake of breath from Jericho, and then:

“Hard to believe he’s really dead.”

She knew he was, though. She’d driven the blade into his chest herself. There hadn’t been time to double check, but his death had been all over the news in the days since the fight. People were celebrating. And why wouldn’t they? It was a good thing, right?

“We’re shaking,” Jericho pointed out.

Rose realized he was right. She hadn’t trembled like this in a long time. Not since her first training sessions with Slade. He’d been a brutal taskmaster, merciless in his demands and his execution. It had been way too much for her, all at once. She shut down, body trembling uncontrollably. Slade hadn’t taken too kindly to her weakness. She spent most of the next month in bed, recovering. 

He’d always known how to hurt her.

Her hand brushed against her eyepatch. She wasn’t sure if the movement belonged to her or to Jericho.

“Can you...can you read my thoughts?”

It wasn’t such a ridiculous question, was it? She could get flashes of his mind, occasionally. Warm memories of his time with the original Titans, the taste of his favorite cheesecake, the love of his mother…. Funny. She hadn’t talked to her own mother in months, and she hadn’t missed her at all. But Jericho had missed his every single day he’d been within Slade. She’d known he was alive, but it just wasn’t the same as being there. Being present.

“Some of them. Sometimes,” came the quiet reply to her question.

“Huh.”

She sat down on her bed, trying not to think about how scary that was. Someone having access to your mind, to your most private thoughts...well, they were all private, weren’t they? 

“Do you think we’ll be like this forever?”

Jericho frowned.

“Only if you want us to be. I wouldn’t force you to...carry me around like some sort of parasite. And I’d never take control without your permission.”

It sounded nice, but…

“What if I don’t want it? You leave my body and just...die? You take over someone else, some stranger?”

Jericho didn’t have an answer to that.

“No, I can’t let that happen. I won’t. You’re family.”

“You don’t even really know me, Rose.”

“I know enough.”

There was silence in Rose’s bedroom for a long while. She realized how crazy the last few minutes might appear to a complete outsider. Talking to herself like she was two different people. Maybe she  _ was _ crazy. It didn’t matter.

“We really need to work out a schedule for this thing. Swapping back and forth like this is a hassle. I think it’s probably pretty confusing for everyone else, too.” It came out a little more bluntly than she was expecting it to, but that was Rose in a nutshell. Bluntness personified. 

Jericho, on the other hand, was all earnestness and warmth. Really, you couldn’t choose two more different people to share a body. But neither of them had really chosen. That didn’t make it bad. Just...difficult.

“I agree,” Jericho replied quickly, much to her surprise.

“Maybe...we could do alternating days? One day you, one day me? I don’t really have any other ideas.”

“Isn’t a whole day a lot? I don’t want to intrude…”

Rose chuckled.

“You can’t intrude any more than you are right now. Besides, this is your life, too. For now. Until we can come up with something better.”

_ I don’t want to be like Slade,  _ the unspoken truth whispered behind her words. 

“Okay. Thank you,” Jericho spoke and signed, the way he did whenever he was excited. She wondered if her last thought was one of the ones he picked up on. She found herself surprisingly okay with the idea.

“So, is tomorrow you or me?” he asked.

Rose smiled.

“You, definitely. It’s mostly been me this past couple of weeks. Fair’s fair, you know?”

Jericho nodded eagerly, his excitement bleeding over into her mind.

“So…”

“So?”

“Can I call my mom? She’s probably driving herself crazy over dad’s death. She probably thinks I went with him. I should let her know I’m okay. And that I have a sister.”

Rose pulled out her cellphone. She tried not to focus too much on the background picture. Happier times. Back when Jason still trusted her. 

“Knock yourself out. Not literally, though. I mean...just don’t go into my texts, okay?”

The last thing she needed was her brother seeing all of her pathetic attempts to reconnect with a boy who’d all but disappeared since he’d left her.

“Got it,” Jericho chirped. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

She wasn’t sure if she’d ever really be ready to give up control of her body. It was always a scary prospect, no matter how much she trusted Jericho. But she summoned up the courage and nodded.

“Ready.”


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jericho lets his mother know that he's alive and tries to get used to the idea of being in control again.

As strange as all this was, Jericho still found himself more glad than upset. It was better than being trapped in his father’s head, that was for sure. That didn’t mean there weren’t stumbling points.

Rose’s body was different.  _ Way  _ different. He’d only ever possessed men before he’d jumped into his father, and even then, only for a few moments at a time. This was the longest he’d ever been in control of a body other than his own. It was… a lot of new experiences. He didn’t blame Rose for being hesitant, or even annoyed. He’d probably be pretty upset if things were the other way around.

But they weren’t. He was here, and for the moment, this was where he lived. Titans Tower again. This time, he’d get it right. They all would. He was sure of it.

But first, he had an important call to make. He was sure his mom was out of her mind with worry at all the news, good and bad. He needed to let her know he was alright.

He hesitated for a long moment, Rose’s phone in hand. He wasn’t quite sure how to break the news to her. That dad was dead and that he had a  _ sister.  _ He was still trying to process that part himself.

Rose was quiet in their shared mindspace. She didn’t really like talking when she wasn’t in control, and she tended to retreat into herself whenever Jericho came around. Maybe she wanted to give him some privacy. If so, he appreciated it. He wished he could do the same.

_ You’re stalling, Jer.  _ His father’s voice, creeping up on him from beyond the grave. A ghost, more immaterial than Jericho was at that very moment, and yet somehow just as real.

Jericho bit the bullet and pressed the call button.

_ Ring. Ring. Ring. _

Would she even pick up? His mom wasn’t exactly the kind of person to answer calls from strange numbers. It was how she’d hidden him away from Slade for so long after the...incident.

Just when he was sure that she’d let it go to voicemail, the call timer started ticking up.

“Hello? Who is this? I swear to god, if you’re another one of those morons who think they’re clever, calling Deathstroke’s ex-wife…”

“It’s me, mom,” Jericho said before he could get second thoughts.

“Excuse me?”

Jericho sighed and closed his eyes. Eye. Of course she wouldn’t believe him. Especially not over the phone. Especially not with this voice. But he could still try.

“It’s your son. It’s Jericho.”

“That’s not funny,” his mom practically growled. He could tell she’d been crying. He should have done this earlier. Moment one.

_ Tell her something only you would know,  _ Rose urged him from deep within.

It was more difficult than Jericho expected, given the fact that she’d likely hang up on him in the next two seconds if he didn’t say the right thing. 

“For the past five years, I lived in my father’s body. We talked a few times, when he let me. You told Dick Grayson to see him when he was recovering in your house, because you knew he could save me. Well, he did. I’m free now, mom. Seriously.”

Jericho’s eyes were mysteriously wet. Eye. Again. That was going to take some getting used to.

His mother was silent for a long time. So long, in fact, that Jericho had to check to make sure the call was still going and that she hadn’t hung up on him.

“Is that really you, Jericho?”

Jericho couldn’t help it. He laughed.

“Yeah, mom, it’s me.”

“Oh my god. I thought...how did you--?”

“It’s a really long story. One I should tell you in person. Do you remember that old pizza place you used to take me to as a kid? They had the best Hawaiian pizza in the neighborhood?”

“Romero’s?”

“Yeah. Can we meet there tomorrow?”

“Of course! Of course…Jericho. I...I’m so glad you’re still alive.”

“Me too. I love you, mom.”

Another long pause. Sniffling. Jericho had only ever heard his mom cry like this once before. The first time he ‘died’. She didn’t know he was alive until well after a year had gone by. His father was cruel that way.

“I love you too, Jericho.”

It seemed like she wanted to say more, but his mom ended the call before she could. Jericho’s heart felt a little less heavy after the call. Just hearing her voice again...it was enough to make him feel like he really  _ was  _ free.

And of course, tomorrow he’d actually see her. Hug her for the first time in forever with hands that he actually controlled. The only thing he really wasn’t sure of was how he’d explain Rose to her. 

Ah, well. He could worry about that tomorrow.

Jericho had always had an easy time falling asleep. It was staying asleep that was the issue. Even before jumping into his father, he’d been plagued with nightmare visions of cities filled with wickedness and cruelty. And that was pure imagination. Now he had reality. He’d witnessed his father kill people. So many people. He’d felt Deathstroke’s blade tear them apart. Politicians, soldiers, protesters...Slade Wilson didn’t discriminate, as long as the pay was good. Now they haunted his dreams, too.

Every few minutes, he was torn from his sleep by particularly nightmarish images. Things he’d seen and felt. Things that could not be forgotten, despite his best efforts. They were bad enough to stir even Rose from wherever she’d retreated to.

“What’s going on, Jericho?”

He shook his head, his voice suddenly gone. There was no scar on his throat any longer, but he could still feel it, deep in his soul.

Rose could sense his pain. Without another word, she took over and ushered them both into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When Jericho woke up, he was in control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is turning into a little bit of a thing! Next chapter will be from the perspective of some of the other Titans as they try to wrap their heads around the idea of their teammates sharing the same body. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, if you want. I'm always happy to read feedback on my fics.


	3. Regard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans go about their daily lives as Jericho and Rose try to do the same. Some are more successful than others. 
> 
> OR: 
> 
> The Wilson siblings find out that sharing a body is a lot easier said than done.

Titans didn’t have days off. There might be days when they weren’t needed, but being a hero was a full time job that required daily maintenance. That’s why Dick Grayson was up at 6 AM in full costume, hacking away at wooden training dummies with his escrima sticks. 

He focused on the way they felt in his hands. Not too heavy, not too light. They certainly felt different than his staff, but not in a bad way. They were a natural fit, an extension of himself in battle. They’d helped him finally bring down Deathstroke. Well, them and Rose. And Jericho.

“Hey, has anyone ever told you how great your ass looks in that suit?”

_ Speak of the devil.  _

Dick smirked.

“Oh, you and just about everyone else I’ve run into wearing this thing. What’s up, Rose?”

The silver-haired figure at the edge of his vision shook her head.

“I’m not Rose.”

Ah. He could see that now. Jericho had a completely different style. A different way of walking and even speaking. It was still a little difficult to get used to, Jericho being back. Even more so because he was sharing a body with a fellow Titan. It made call-outs in the field a little confusing.

“Hey Jericho. How’re you holding up?”

Jericho grinned.

“I’m great. Really great. Me and Rose worked something out...and I think things are gonna be alright.”

Dick nodded. He understood perfectly. He felt the same way, which was ridiculous, because he’d lost so much in the past two weeks. Donna, Rachael...but he couldn’t help but feel hopeful. For the first time in a long time, it felt like he knew what he was doing. Who he was supposed to be.

“That’s good to hear, man. So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Jericho shrugged.

“Gonna go out today. See my mom. Might not be back for a while. Just wanted to let you know so you didn’t go crazy looking for us.”

Dick put a hand on Jericho’s shoulder.

“Hey, you don’t have to ask permission to come and go. This is home, Jericho. You do what makes you feel comfortable. And...I’m happy for you.”

Jericho pulled him into a familiar, welcoming hug.

“I’m happy for you too, Dick.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Few people know this, but trying to keep superhero costumes clean is a major pain in the ass. Dawn had discovered this a long, long time ago, just a couple of nights after donning her Dove suit for the very first time. Sweat and blood clung to the inside like a bad mold, and the material wasn’t exactly machine-washable.

Thank god whoever designed Titans tower had the foresight to build a specialized machine just for that. Dawn didn’t think she had the energy to hand wash her things at this point. 

She’d just finished stuffing her costume into the machine when her fellow Titan crept into the room. 

_ Hey, Jericho,  _ Dawn signed quickly. It had been a while since she’d practiced her sign, and even though it wasn’t strictly necessary anymore, she might as well take the opportunity to practice.

_ I’m glad to hear things went well with your mother. Did you call that boy? _

Jericho just stared at her hands uncomprehendingly.

Dawn sighed and leaned against the machine.

“I didn’t think my sign was  _ that  _ bad, Jericho.”

“What? I’m not Jericho, Dawn.”

Dawn was mortified. She didn’t know why she’d assumed Jericho was in control. It was Rose’s body, after all… It had been a long day. Too long.

She held up her costume.

“Do you think that thing will work on this? It’s more metal than fabric…”

Dawn nodded.

“Of course. Have you seen Hawkman’s costume?”

Rose snorted.

“What costume? Dude’s practically naked.”

Dawn couldn’t really argue with that. She stepped aside as Rose shoved her outfit into the machine, right next to Dawn’s.

“Hey, sorry about not giving you a chance to introduce yourself.”

Rose shook her head.

“It’s okay. Just my first time being mistaken for someone else. Doesn’t happen a lot with hair like this. Guess I should get used to it, now that we’re gonna be switching back and forth regularly.”

“Yeah, maybe you should put a notice up in the dining room. Or something.”

Rose shrugged.

“I’ve always been a fan of ‘Or something’. You guys’ll get used to it.”

Dawn seriously doubted that.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and yet the most glorious sounds of the day were coming from two floors below.

Conner had taken to lounging on the roof. Something about the view of the city from up there was relaxing to him. Not to mention the closeness to the sun...it gave him a lot of time to think. About himself, about his place in the world, and even his place on this team. There were a lot of things to think about, he was coming to realize.

But right now, he wanted to see where those sounds were coming from. Music was not an unfamiliar concept to him, but this was better than music. This was...what was that word Gar used all the time? Ah, heavenly. 

He found himself drifting down the stairs until he reached the lounge proper. There was no one there, which was surely a mistake...oh. He could see him now. Jericho. His fingers were dancing along the strings of a guitar, producing song beyond anything Gar had ever introduced him to.

Melody morphed into narrative, enlightening and soothing. It was pure joy, a vision into someone else’s life. Conner let it settle in slowly as he sat down across from the artist. 

The pace picked up, dipping down into darkness before slipping back up into light, and finally into peace. Before Conner knew it, the song was over, and the player was looking him directly in the eye.

“That was beautiful. I didn’t know you made art.”

Jericho grinned, his cheeks dyeing themselves a charming shade of red.

“I don’t know if I’d call it art. I mean, it’s just a hobby.”

Conner shook his head, his eyes wide. How could he downplay his talent like that?

“No, it’s beautiful, Jericho. It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard.”

Jericho rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don’t know about that. Hey, how did you know it was me?”

Conner tilted his head slightly. 

“Isn’t it obvious? You walk differently from your sister. Your heart beats differently.”

Jericho raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“You can tell us apart by our heartbeat?”

“Can’t everyone?”

Jericho shook his head.

“Not even close.”

And for some reason Conner couldn’t quite figure out, Jericho began to laugh. It was just as musical.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kory was, to put it quite simply, a hot mess. Her powers were gone, Rachel was gone, and the only thing keeping her together was the idea that Dick needed her. She’d do anything for that boy. And not just because he was good in bed.

Hm. It  _ had  _ been a while.

“Kory?”

Someone at the door. Kory shifted slightly to get a better look.

“Rose?”

The girl wasn’t a total stranger to her. They’d talked a few times on the way to and from fights. Before Donna’s funeral. Not too many other times, but such was life. Kory liked to think they were friends. X’hal, Kory needed friends. That was one of the things she missed from Tamaran, few as they were. She’d never been short on friends back there. Everyone on this planet was so...repressed. Afraid of casual companionship. Sometimes something could be more than one thing.

“Hey,” the girl said as she stepped into Kory’s room.

“Hey,” Kory responded in kind.

And then they just sort of stood there. Kory was no stranger to human interaction, but this one was not going well.

“Look, I’m not big on the whole asking for advice thing, and I think that the question I have for you is absolutely crazy, but I need to ask  _ someone  _ and you… you’re just…”

“Good at it?”

Rose nodded.

“Well, I’m in a little bit of a life spot right now, but go ahead. Shoot.”

Rose shook her head in what looked like an attempt to gather herself. 

“Okay, so this is really weird, but you know my brother, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I think he might be keeping something a secret from me.”

Kory raised both hands in a sort of exasperated ‘what-can-you-do?’ gesture. 

“So? People keep secrets. I’ve kept secrets from people I love before.” It hadn’t exactly ended well, but she’d done it all the same.

“Yeah, but he’s living inside of my body. I’m all for privacy, but if he does something weird, then it kinda looks like I’m doing it. I mean, I don’t really care all that much about my reputation, but still.”

Kory gave Rose a knowing smile.

“There’s someone out there you don’t want seeing.”

Rose said nothing, offering only a curt nod in reply.

“Well, I don’t know much about being possessed by a sibling. My sister and I have never exactly been on the best of terms. My brother…” Kory nearly choked on the thought. Ryand’r was dead. She wondered if he’d been mourned properly. Certainly not by her. “When he and I had an issue, we’d usually just talk it out. Words are worth more than people give them credit for.”

She wasn’t sure it was the answer Rose was looking for, but it was the answer she had to give. The girl could do what she wanted with it. Kory needed air. Air, and tiime to think.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gar slammed his controller down on the couch.

“VICTORY!!!!”

Jericho raised an eyebrow.

“You know this is a _ co-op  _ game, right? Getting me killed is not the way to win.”

Gar grinned and picked his controller back up.

“That’s what  _ you  _ think. Everyone knows the true test of any good co-op game is to see if you can outlast your buddy.”

Jericho sighed and leaned back on the couch. Gar was already back into the game, shredding through hordes of demonic imps like so much cheddar. It was good to immerse himself in the game. Kept him from thinking about Donna. About how badly he’d failed her and the rest of the Titans.

Gar made it a few minutes longer before succumbing to the mighty hordes of hell.

“Damn.”

Jericho shrugged.

“It happens. You wanna go another round?”

Gar shook his head.

“Nah. We should get started on the marathon.”

“The time travel movie marathon?”

“Yup. We got The Terminator, we got Back to the Future, we got Timecop, we got Hot Tub Time Machine…”

Jericho sighed.

“It’s 2 in the morning, Gar. Rose is gonna be pissed if I stay up any later than this. She likes her sleep.”

Gar shrugged uncomfortably. The last thing he wanted to be was alone right now. And marathoning movies on your own was kinda sad. He’d always marathoned with friends. Rita, Cliff and Larry were great people to watch movies with. Rachel, too. But they were gone. He hadn’t heard from the Chief or any of the others in months, and Rachel had left him to go fix  _ his  _ mistake. It was a bummerfest all around.

“Okay, man. Have a good night.”

But Jericho didn’t leave, much to his surprise. Instead he leaned in, his eye

darting around furiously, searching for something in Gar’s face. Gar raised an eyebrow.

“Um...what--”

“It’s okay to not be okay, Gar.”

Gar tried his best to smile, the way he always did when he didn’t want others to see just how weak he was. Jericho was having none of it.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do. You miss your friends. You think you messed up. And maybe you did, but that’s okay. Everyone messes up. It’s part of being alive. But you’re not alone, Gar. You shouldn’t force yourself to be. Sometimes what you need is more important than what other people think of you.”

Gar closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temple. He wasn’t ready to deal with this on any level. Nor was he even remotely prepared to have this conversation. Gar preferred distraction to direct confrontation. His last attempt at direct confrontation had resulted in him snapping at Rachel. And she’d still come back for him. 

“Um, thank you, Jericho, but I think I’ll be okay. I just, uh, need time, I guess. And to get to bed. Rose is right. Staying up this late is really irresponsible. Last thing I want is to see Dick’s ‘disappointed face’.”

Jericho gave Gar a short nod before retreating to the dorms. Maybe he was right. Gar had missed the last couple of missions because he’d been too busy sleeping. He’d always dreamed of being a hero, but a hero actually did things. They were there when you needed them.

One thing was for sure. He needed a  _ lot  _ more work before he got there.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dick, can I ask you a question?”

Dick examined the girl carefully over the lip of his coffee cup. She looked exhausted. He wondered if he’d been pushing the training too hard. They had to be prepared for any threat, but maybe they didn’t have to be  _ that  _ prepared. Crime in San Francisco never really stopped, but it had fallen into a bit of a lull the past week or so. 

“Yeah. Always.”

Rose’s dark eyebrows pressed together tightly, creasing the skin at the center at the center of her forehead.

“Do you prefer Jericho?”

It was only by great force of will that Dick narrowly avoided spitting his coffee out on the table.

“What?”

Rose shrugged with forced casualness.

“I don’t know. Just getting that vibe. Whenever I’m in control, it’s like everyone’s more distant.  _ Everyone.  _ I’m not jealous or anything...I know I’m not really  _ for  _ everyone, and I don’t want to be. It’s just a little weird, sharing your body with someone who people like more than you. Makes you feel like a stranger.”

Dick really wasn’t sure what to say. He’d never been in a situation like this before, and he’d been in a  _ lot  _ of weird situations. When you were patrolling Gotham, hallucinogens were basically part of the atmosphere. Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Bane, and even Riddler...they all loved their toxins. And those were just the ones he could recall off the top of his head.

“Rose, you’re a Titan. You’re  _ family.  _ You belong here just as much as Jericho does. If anyone’s trying to make you feel differently…”

Rose waved his concerned dad routine off.

“No one’s trying to make me feel anything. It’s just the way things are. It’s not like there’s really much anybody can do about it. Actually, maybe talking about this was a bad idea.”

Too late. Dick was already hard at work thinking up a solution. Every problem had one. Every trap had a way out, or if you were Batman, fifteen. 

_ Got it,  _ he thought, snapping his fingers as he pulled his cup away from his face.

“Rose, if things get to be too much, you can share Jericho with one of us. Take a break to just be yourself.”

Her eyebrows met again.

“Are you sure? It’s a lot to ask.”

Dick nodded firmly.

“Anytime. If Jericho agrees, of course.”

A moment, and then a nod.

“He says it sounds like a good idea. Still not sure about it, but if either of us need it, we’ll ask. Thanks, Dick.”

Dick gave her as serious a look as he could manage, which, considering he’d been raised by Batman, was pretty damn serious.

“You better.”

And that was the final word on that. Or it might have been, if Rose hadn’t turned on her way out of the kitchen to ask Dick one more thoroughly unexpected question.

“Hey, do you know who Sam is?”

Dick’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

_ Oh. Shit.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet, yay! Next chapter we discover a little bit more about what Jericho has been doing with the privacy Rose has given him. They talk, and a certain ex-Titan arrives to make things just that little bit more chaotic.


	4. Response

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose confronts Jericho about Sam.

“Okay, who the hell is Sam?” Rose hissed as she barged into her and Jericho’s shared mindspace. Jericho threw up his hands, letting the memory of a book he’d been reading drop back into the stream of greater consciousness. Rose looked like she could put a fist through his incorporeal face at the slightest provocation. Understandably, that was the last thing Jericho wanted.

“What?” he cried, taken utterly off guard by the sudden intrusion. They’d never been in this space together for more than a few moments, and even then, only to facilitate their transitions. This was bizarre.

“Sam. Dick mentioned the name. He looked like he’d shit the bed when he said it, too. Explain.”

Context. Context was good, Usually. In this case, though, it only pushed Jericho further into the corner. He knew what this was about, and he really wasn’t eager to share it with Rose. Not when she was like this.

“Hey, there. Nice to see you, too.”

Rose rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Okay.

“Talk.”

Jericho shook his head.

“First, you sit down. Then we talk, like rational human beings.”

Rose huffed.

“I’m not feeling particularly rational right now.”

Jericho nodded.

“I can see that. Just another reason for you to sit down.”

Rose hunched her shoulders.

“Fine.”

She crashed onto the couch, as far away from Jericho as she could manage. Which was pretty far. It was a long couch.

“Now, talk. Who’s Sam? Why did Dick look like he’d just set the tower on fire?”

Jericho groaned. He’d been planning to tell Rose about Sam himself. Eventually. Once things were a little clearer. But this made things harder. Weirder, definitely. He steeled himself and turned so that he and Rose were eye-to-eye. 

“Sam is… a guy. A really good guy. I met him at the cafe down the street. He was...signing to his friend. I introduced myself. He liked me. I liked him. We went on a date.”

Rose’s nostrils flared. She looked like she was about to yell at him. Or worse.

“One date. Just to see how things went. I mean, can you blame me? I hadn’t formed a meaningful connection with anyone except for you in five whole years. I just...wanted something for myself. I know that sounds selfish. I’m sorry, Rose. I should have asked you, first.”

She crossed her arms, a deep scowl on her face. 

“Damn straight. Nobody outside of the tower knows about our situation, except for your mom. I don’t want this Sam guy coming up to me in the street and asking me what I thought about our  _ hot date.  _ Actually, hold on a second. You haven’t done anything with him yet, have you?”

Jericho raised his eyebrows incredulously.

“ _ No!  _ I wouldn’t do that without your permission, and I’m not remotely ready for anything like that. I might not ever be.”

Rose nodded curtly, as if that was the only answer that made sense in the world.

“Okay. Good. So… why keep it a secret?”

Jericho shook his head.

“It wasn’t so much a secret as much as it was me being unsure how to bring it up with you. Besides, we agreed on privacy, didn’t we?”

Rose shrugged.

“Sure, but you were out with this guy in public. It’s a little different,” she said in a way that suggested it was a lot more than just a little different in her mind.

“Relax. I used a fake name.”

“Did you use a fake face, too? Because that’s the only thing I’m worried about. Oh god, you didn’t post anything online, did you?”

Jericho’s face went blank.

Rose grimaced.

“You didn’t?”

“It wasn’t me. Sam wanted to take a picture to commemorate the evening. It was fun. He was fun. I thought it couldn’t hurt.”

Rose ran a rather frantic hand through her hair.

“People will see. They’ll know it’s me.”

Jericho raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? You got a whole bunch of Instagram followers?”

Rose gave him an annoyed grunt.

“I don’t care about that. It’s just…”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb. Jericho leaned forward so he was looking up into her face.

“Is this about that boy?”

“What boy?”

“The one on your lockscreen? What’s his name, Jason?”

Rose’s face reddened. She was...blushing. A pretty unusual sight.

“No. Kind of...alright, yes. Him and me...it’s just another thing I screwed up. Except...I can’t really put it on Slade. He never told me to start a relationship with him. He definitely didn’t tell me to spill my guts out to him. Or to expect that he’d understand. That anyone would. He left, right after I confessed. Made it pretty clear how he felt. But...I don’t know, I guess some part of me still hopes he might talk to me again. It’s stupid, I know.”

Jericho shook his head.

“No. It’s not. You care about him. That’s never stupid. So...you want me to stop seeing Sam?”

Rose gave it some thought before finally, slowly shaking her head.

“No. You deserve something special. Just...take it slow, okay? Give me some time to get used to it. And don’t post anything else online. I hate that crap.”

Jericho grinned impishly.

“What, the internet?”

“No, social media. I don’t like people staring at me in real life. Why would I like it any more on a computer?”

Jericho shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

Rose snapped her fingers.

“Oh, one last thing. You might want to explain this whole situation to Sam. Or whoever you decide to be serious with. It’ll probably make things easier in the long run. For everyone.”

Jericho nodded.

“Will you tell Jason?”

Rose squirmed.

“If I can. Like I said...I don’t think us getting back together is realistic.”

Jericho smiled.

“Like anything about our lives is realistic. In case you haven’t noticed, sis, we’re superheroes. We share a building with a clone, an alien, a shapeshifter, and freaking Batman’s ex-sidekick. Anything can happen. Don’t rule it out.”

Rose forced a smile.

“Sure, sure. Actually, that reminds me, there’s something else.”

“Oh?”

“Your mom called. Slade’s funeral. It’s tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. You wanna go?”

Jericho frowned, crossing his arms so he could rub his shoulders. It was a big question. He could tell just by looking at it that Rose was thinking about it just as hard as he was.

“No,” he answered finally. Rose’s frown deepened. “But we have to, don’t we?”

The look in her eye was their silent agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the large gap in updating. The other things I'm working on picked up a bit and I had to turn my focus towards them for a bit. But I will finish this story, I promise. Just one more chapter to go and we'll be all wrapped up. Thank you to everyone who's stuck around, and I sincerely hope you enjoy both this chapter and the conclusion.


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